Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Stop the implementation of betting affordability/financial risk checks
We want the Government to abandon the planned implementation of affordability checks for some people who want to place a bet. We believe such checks – which could include assessing whether people are ‘at risk of harm' based on their postcode or job title – are inappropriate and discriminatory.
Limit the shooting season of Woodcock
Gov Responded - 11 Oct 2022 Debated on - 27 Feb 2023 View Bill Wiggin's petition debate contributionsMark Avery , Chris Packham and Ruth Tingay (Wild Justice) want the opening of the Woodcock shooting season to be pushed back to 1 December. 160,000 Woodcock are shot for fun across the UK whilst their population is declining. The Defra Secretary of State has powers to vary the shooting season.
End the Cage Age for all farmed animals
Gov Responded - 20 Aug 2021 Debated on - 20 Jun 2022 View Bill Wiggin's petition debate contributionsEvery year across the UK, millions of farmed animals are kept in cages, unable to express their natural behaviours and experiencing huge suffering. These inhumane systems cannot be the future of British farming. The UK Government must legislate to ‘End the Cage Age’ for all farmed animals.
Stop Forestry England granting licenses for Fox & Hare hunts
Gov Responded - 7 Dec 2020 Debated on - 25 Apr 2022 View Bill Wiggin's petition debate contributionsFor the most recent hunting season, Forestry England gave hunting licences for 34 fox & hare “trail hunts”. Despite hunting wild mammals with dogs being illegal, two of the licensed/previously licensed trail hunts have been associated with convictions under the Hunting and Animal Welfare Acts.
Mini’s law - Protect the public and animals from hunting activities
Gov Responded - 24 May 2021 Debated on - 25 Apr 2022 View Bill Wiggin's petition debate contributionsIn March 2021 Mini the cat was chased and killed by hunting hounds in a quiet residential area.
The Government should back Mini’s Law (Public and Animal Safety Bill 2021) to ensure safety to the public and animals from hunting activity, such as trail hunts and exercise of hunting hounds.
Ban the shooting of badgers immediately
Gov Responded - 12 Oct 2020 Debated on - 21 Mar 2022 View Bill Wiggin's petition debate contributionsShooting of Badgers is licensed by Natural England as part of the DEFRA Badger cull. 24,000+ Badgers were shot in 2019.
These initiatives were driven by Bill Wiggin, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Bill Wiggin has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to prohibit the sale of property by sealed bids; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to establish a meat grading system incorporating taste and eating quality; to define the term “grass-fed” when used in meat labelling and marketing; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make it an offence to consume dog meat and to transport, possess or donate dog meat for the purpose of consumption; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision about standardised requirements for electric vehicle charge points; and for connected purposes.
A bill to make provision for the central reporting and registration of agency staff employed by National Health Service trusts, facilities and services; to make provision for the central reporting and recording of absence from work of permanent NHS employees; and for connected purposes
A Bill to amend the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (the "1990 Act") to establish additional factors, including environmental performance, health and safety and maintenance costs, as matters to be taken into account by the Secretary of State in considering whether to include, retain or release a building, or part thereof, in or from a list compiled or approved under the 1990 Act due to its architectural or historic interest; to make provision about excluding parts of buildings and structures within their curtilage from such lists; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require the Health and Safety Executive to record certain details of agricultural accidents and to report those details annually; and for connected purposes.
Dog Meat (Consumption) (Offences) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Bill Wiggin (Con)
Farm Produce (Labelling Requirements) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Anne Main (Con)
In 2023 in the UK, 494 companies with a SIC code 49410 - Freight Transport by Road - entered insolvency.
At Autumn Statement 2023, the Government announced continuing support for haulage companies, freezing HGV Vehicle Excise Duty and the HGV Levy in 2024/25. This forms part of a package of support for hauliers, with the freezing of Fuel Duty announced at Spring Budget 2023, saving over £4,300 for the most common types of HGV in 2023/24.
The Department for Education is also offering high-quality apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps, supporting the haulage sector to develop the skilled workforces it needs.
The department has no plans to assess the impact of the medical cannabis industry on the economy. Data is annually published on the impact on the economy and employment of the wider Life Sciences sector in the Bioscience and health technology sector statistics. This includes analysis of the bio-pharmaceuticals sector of which the medical cannabis industry is a subsector.
No assessment has been made on the growth potential for the cannabinoid-based medicine industry which also creates opportunities for the agri-tech sector. The department will continue to deliver against the priority sub-sectors outlined in the Life Science Vision, through our role in pursuing and landing inward investment, enabling exports, attracting global talent and capital, and leading on trade policy and defending free trade.
Life Sciences is one the UK’s top exporting sectors, with exports valued at £28.1 billion in 2022. No assessment has currently been made by the department of the impact of exporting medicinal cannabis on the UK economy. The department supports UK manufacturers of medical cannabis who have obtained a controlled drug licence from the Home Office and relevant licences from MHRA; and where the use of medicinal cannabis is both (a) legal in the destination market and (b) only for medical or scientific purposes.
I refer my hon Friend to the answer I gave on 21 March 2024 to my hon Friend the Member for St Ives (Derek Thomas) to Question UIN 18922.
The Government ‘help to heat’ schemes supports deployment of low carbon heating in rural areas through ECO, Wave 2 of SHDF and HUG2.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme also provides grants of £7,500 towards upfront cost and installation of air and ground source heat pumps. Up to the end of February 2024, 57% of grants paid out were for clean heat installations in rural areas
Through the Heat Network Transformation Programme, the Government is working with industry and local authorities to develop new heat networks and improve existing ones, including investing £500 million half a billion pounds in funds.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme provides grants of £7,500 to support the installation of air source, ground source and water source heat pumps including plants installed as part of a shared ground loop. We are increasing the shared ground loops system capacity limit in May from 45kW to 300kW to address the concerns that groundworks for ground source heat pumps are a significant barrier to deployment.
Shared ground loop installations which satisfy the eligibility criteria for the Green Heat Network Fund can apply to the scheme for support. To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that their networks can deliver a minimum of 2GWh per year of heat.
The Government is supporting heat pump manufacturers through the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition, which will provide up to £30m in grant funding for manufacturers to create new, or expand or repurpose existing, factories to produce heat pumps and key components. The Competition is expected to create capacity for up to 270,000 heat pumps a year and support up to 1,000 jobs.
Heat pump manufacturers can also take advantage of other incentives offered by Government for industry as a whole, such as investment zones which can provide direct and indirect support such as a range of tax reliefs.
The Government published its response to the consultation on amendments to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) in March. We will be making a series of changes including: removing insulation requirements; increasing the capacity limit for shared ground loops from 45kW to 300kW; expanding the definition of biomass boilers to include those with a cooking function and introducing flexibility to allow for the potential future differentiation of grant levels for off grid properties.
The Department currently provides support for heat pump deployment through a range of schemes including the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), the Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and the Home Upgrade Grant (HUG2).
The BUS up to November 2023, has recorded 57% of grants for heat pumps being redeemed for rural properties.
Following full technical consultation, the Government introduced changes to permitted development rights for solar equipment in December 2023. These changes included the introduction of a new permitted development right that allows for the installation of solar canopies in non-domestic, off-street car parks.
These changes simplify planning processes and enable more solar installations to benefit from the flexibilities and planning freedoms permitted development rights offer.
The Government currently has no plans to provide funding for urban photovoltaics, but we are exploring options in the Solar Taskforce for facilitating low-cost finance from retail lenders to help households and businesses with the costs of installation. This builds on a commitment made in the British Energy Security Strategy.
Government does not provide funding for connection of photovoltaics to the grid. However, the independent energy regulator, Ofgem, has reduced connection costs where distribution network reinforcement is required for connection applications from 1 April 2023.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme review assessed qualitative and quantitative evidence and contributions from businesses and stakeholders on sectors that may be most affected by energy price increases, based on energy and trade intensity (ETII). To qualify for ETII support, the sector has to be in the top 20% for energy intensity and top 40% for trade intensity. The horticulture, pig and poultry farming sectors do not meet these criteria.
The Energy Bills Discount Scheme will provide a baseline discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including the horticulture, pig and poultry sectors, until March 2024. The unit discount is capped at £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas.
Leaving the EU has provided the UK with the freedom to conceive and implement laws and policies that put the UK first and the opportunity to think boldly about how it regulates its economy for the good of the country as a whole.
At the start of this year, the Government set out its plans to maximise the benefits of Brexit across each major sector of the economy.
So much progress has already been made, and to seize the benefits of Brexit more quickly we have introduced the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.
The Government engages regularly with a range of businesses operating in the energy sector, including the operators of the UK’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals. Decisions on expansion of these terminals are a commercial decision for the operators.
The Government engages regularly with a range of businesses operating in the energy sector, including firms considering new energy investments in the UK. Any decisions on developing new LNG terminals are a commercial decision for the proponents of any such project.
The proposed location for a new Liquified Natural Gas plant is a matter for the developer, and any application would be dealt with through the planning system in the normal way, dependent on which part of the UK the application is made.
The Energy Supply Taskforce (ESTF) is part of the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, and it therefore provides the funding and resources currently required by the ESTF.
The Department has set out an ambitious set of measures to promote energy security both in the short and longer term. The Government funding for these measures has been allocated through the Spending Review 2021 settlement. Future Departmental expenditure limits will be agreed with HM Treasury at the next Spending Review.
The Department works closely with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) to monitor consumer experience of smart meters.
The smart meter rollout has high levels of consumer satisfaction: evidence shows that nearly 8 in 10 consumers are satisfied with the smart meter installation process. Research from Ofgem has found that smart meter-related complaints make up a very small proportion of total complaints to energy suppliers, relative to the level of smart meter take-up across Great Britain.
Industry is funding the rollout of smart meters. The latest estimates of the costs and benefits can be found in the 2019 Cost Benefit Analysis of the smart meter rollout in Great Britain: www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meter-roll-out-cost-benefit-analysis-2019
The Department regularly engages with energy suppliers to monitor rollout progress and identify and share good practice on operational and consumer engagement issues.
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy is responsible for setting government policy and obligations relating to the rollout of smart meters, whilst the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their smart metering obligations. Ofgem has a range of tools available for doing this under its Enforcement Guidelines.
The Government’s new four-year smart meter Targets Framework commenced on 1 January 2022 after consultation with industry and consumer groups. The Department will closely monitor smart meter installations, ahead of a mid-point review of the Framework in 2023.
The Department works closely with the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) to monitor consumer experience of smart meters.
The smart meter rollout has high levels of consumer satisfaction; evidence shows that nearly 8 in 10 consumers are satisfied with the smart meter installation process. Research from Ofgem has found that smart meter-related complaints make up a very small proportion of total complaints to energy suppliers, relative to the level of smart meter take-up across Great Britain.
The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) is responsible for regulating energy suppliers against their smart metering obligations and has a range of tools available for doing this under its Enforcement Guidelines, including financial penalties.
The Government works closely with National Grid Electricity System Operator to ensure there is adequate capacity available to meet peak demand in a range of scenarios, now and in the future.
Each year how much capacity will be necessary to meet demand in the years ahead is evaluated. This assessment is used to determine targets for the annual Capacity Market auctions. Auctions held to date have secured the majority of Great Britain’s capacity needs out to 2024/25. A further two Capacity Market auctions will take place later this winter which will secure electricity supply out to 2025/26.
The electricity network companies work closely with developers and the independent energy regulator, Ofgem, to ensure that the electricity system can accommodate new generation capacity.
In total, over £25bn has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. On top of the Government’s wider economic support package, we have extended business rates relief and introduced new Restart Grants of up to £18,000 for many in the sector.
We have also extended the cut in VAT for tourism and hospitality activities to 5% until the end of September. In order to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate, a 12.5% rate will then apply for a further six months.
We recognise that these are very challenging conditions for businesses in the travel sector, including travel agents, which is why we have provided a range of measures to support the sector. On top of our wider economic support package, we have provided business rates relief and one-off grants for eligible hospitality and leisure businesses – and we have cut VAT for tourism and hospitality activities from 20% to 5% until the end of September. In order to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate, a 12.5% rate will then apply for a further six months.
We are working closely with the Department for Transport and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport to support the reopening of international travel, in line with the Government’s reopening roadmap and the work of the Global Travel Taskforce.
We know how difficult these continued restrictions are for the tourism sector, with businesses having already faced many months of reduced trade.
In total, over £25bn has been provided to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. On top of the Government’s wider economic support package, we have extended business rates relief and introduced new Restart grants of up to £18,000 for many in the sector.
We have also extended the cut in VAT for tourism and hospitality activities to 5% until the end of September. In order to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate, a 12.5% rate will then apply for a further six months.
The Government will continue to support businesses and individuals during this period - including through various Government-backed loans, new grants and the extended furlough and self-employed support schemes.
In the March Budget, my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced new ‘Restart Grants’ of up to £6,000 per premises for non-essential retail businesses and up to £18,000 per premises for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses in England. The Government is also providing all Local Authorities in England with an additional £425 million of discretionary business grant funding, on top of the £1.6 billion already allocated.
We recognise that these are very challenging conditions for businesses in the travel sector, including travel agents, which is why we have provided a range of measures to support the sector.
Most of our support schemes do not end until September or after, to provide continuity and certainty for businesses and families.
Additionally, on 6 April, we introduced a new Recovery Loan Scheme, providing loans from £25,000 up to £10 million, with an 80% government guarantee, to replace existing loan schemes coming to an end.
While no specific assessment has been made by the Department of the potential merits of changing travel agencies from non-essential retail to part of the culture, tourism, leisure and sport category, we have provided a range of measures to support all types of businesses including non-essential retail.
In the March Budget, my Rt hon Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced new ‘Restart Grants’ of up to £6,000 per premises for non-essential retail businesses and up to £18,000 per premises for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses in England. The Government is also providing all local authorities in England with an additional £425 million of discretionary business grant funding, on top of the £1.6 billion already allocated.
The Government is working closely with industry to ensure there are enough installers to meet demand for the Green Homes Grant (GHG) scheme:
The Green Homes Grant scheme will support tens of thousands of jobs, and we are working closely with industry to ensure there are enough installers to meet demand. More than 1,000 companies have signed up so far with more registering every day, including many businesses that operate nationally with substantial capacity to carry out work across the country.
We have also made £6.9m available via the Green Homes Grant Skills Training competition to fund training to increase the number of installers available.
The Government is working closely with industry to ensure there are enough installers to meet demand. More than 1,000 companies are registered with TrustMark and are able to carry out measures under the Green Homes Grant Scheme, with more registering every day. We have changed the way the Simple Energy Advice website displays installers so that consumers can find increased numbers of registered tradespeople that can deliver work in their area.
Officials are working actively with TrustMark scheme providers and certification bodies to support installers to get certified as quickly as possible. The Department also recently launched a £6.9m skills competition to provide training opportunities for the energy efficiency and low carbon heating supply chains to deliver works and scale up to meet additional consumer demand.
The time-limited nature of the scheme is determined by the nature of the funding. Any potential funding allocations for future years will be determined in the next Government spending review.
Applications for Green Homes Grant scheme vouchers are subject to thorough checks, to help protect against malpractice. These checks may take some time to complete but are vital to ensuring value for money and consumer protection. The first vouchers will be approved and issued shortly.
As of 15:00 on 14 October, the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme had received 17,218 grant applications.
There will be an evaluation of the processes and outcomes of the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme, with an independent research organisation due to commence work later this year.
In order to meet the anticipated global demand for batteries for electric vehicles, production needs to increase significantly worldwide. Lithium and associated Li-ion technology is a key component. The Faraday Battery Challenge is supporting the increase in production of current Li-ion technology - from early stage research, through innovation, to scale-up - to help position the UK to best capture this market.
The Faraday Battery Challenge is looking at the feasibility of extracting lithium in the UK, including in Scotland and Cornwall. Research suggests that domestic sources of lithium have the potential to provide a substantial portion of the UK’s future demand, allowing us to develop a domestic, environmentally responsible, lithium supply. In order to ensure that the full value that we expect this new industry to generate is captured in the UK, it is essential to build the rest of the downstream supply chain domestically, so that battery-quality chemicals and batteries can also be produced here.